FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A judge decided to allow the re-enactment of the 2018 Valentine’s Day Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre to be held on Aug. 4 with live ammunition and a bullet safety device.
The shooter fired nearly 140 blanks from an AR-15 rifle, according to detectives. The decision is part of a civil lawsuit against the former school resource officer accused of knowing where the gunshots were coming from and running from danger to cover instead.
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Former Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputy Scot Peterson was found not guilty back in June of child neglect and other criminal charges related to the deaths and injuries on the school’s 1200 building’s third floor.
Broward Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips sided with the five plaintiffs — the families of victims Luke Hoyer, Alaina Petty, Meadow Pollack, and Alex Schachter, plus survivor Madeline Wilford — who are suing Peterson and BSO.
The plaintiffs want the reenactment to “parallel the killer’s movements, and the gunfire” in relation to Peterson’s actions outside of the building.” The plaintiff’s goal: “To demonstrate that Peterson could hear the gunshots and derive where they were coming from.”
Peterson claims there were echoes and he and others just couldn’t tell where the shooting was. Two of the 17 killed were brave school employees who entered the building during the shooting.
Surveillance video shows Peterson riding on a golf cart. Investigators reported he drove from his office up to about 100 yards from the 1200 building and got off about 10 yards from the building. He approached a door and drew his gun before he backed away, according to investigators.
Peterson then took cover for about 40 minutes when the shooting only lasted about six minutes, according to investigators. The plaintiffs argue he could have saved six killed and four wounded.
Peterson’s attorney, Michael Piper, said the defense is also considering a reenactment. Each party has to pay for the costs of the reenactments.
Local 10 News Reporter Christina Vazquez, Digital Journalists Chris Gothner and Andrea Torres, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.